Waukesha dairy workers return for belongings after jobs let go

WAUKESHA - Wednesday became a difficult day in Waukesha for former Golden Guernsey dairy employees.

They returned to the factory that let their jobs go, so they could retrieve their belongings.

It's been more than two weeks since employees at the Golden Guernsey Dairy were locked out and laid off.

For some, the return to the factory was a chance to start a new chapter in their lives.

"This is 25 years of me at Golden Guernsey and I'm happy to kiss it good bye right now," said Dave Geiger, who worked for Golden Guernsey.

" 'Here you go. Here's your box of stuff. Now get out.' Pictures of my kids when they were young, a hundred pairs of gloves."

He said he found a new job working with a family member.

"I hooked up where my brother works. 99 percent of these right here have it worse than I do."

The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. More than 100 people lost their jobs.

Another former employee worked at the dairy for two years. She's one of nearly 80 former employees getting help from Waukesha's Workforce Development Center.

They're holding a job fair on Friday for some of those employees.

"So far, (no luck) yet," said the employee.

"How do you just let it go? How do you just let 25 years...and just say goodbye?"

The court-appointed trustee is trying to sell the dairy as quickly as possible. It is worth anywhere from $10 to $50 million.

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